Ring Floodlight vs Spotlight 

Thieves prefer to lurk in the shadows where they can’t be seen. That’s why security cameras with lights are great for home security, and Ring, one of the best security camera providers, offers two of them – the Ring Spotlight Cam and the Ring Floodlight Cam. Which do you choose?

A light is a light is a light, right? Nope. Ring’s Spotlight Cam and Floodlight Cam both shed light on your home security needs, but they perform very different functions. That means you can’t just close your eyes and pick between them. You have to understand exactly what they do so you can choose the one that best fits your particular home security needs. Luckily, you have us to sort it all out for you. Below, we get into exactly what these two cameras do and don’t do, so you can make the most informed decision possible.

The Ring Floodlight Cam

Ring Outdoor Cameras Overview

The best way to distinguish between these two cameras is to talk about what each one is designed to do. We’ll get into all the finer points of each device, but let’s start with the key difference between them.

• Ring Spotlight Cam: The Spotlight Cam is built to provide soft, focused lighting. It can help you get in late at night without tripping in the dark or startle a potential burglar when it shines a spotlight on them.
• Ring Floodlight Cam: In contrast, the Floodlight Cam provides bright and broad lighting. It can illuminate your entire front yard and instead of just startling a potential burglar, it can temporarily blind them in the middle of their heist as their eyes adjust to the sudden light.

Which one do you need? Maybe you need both. It all depends on your particular home security needs. To understand those, you have to take the time to consider all of your property’s vulnerabilities.

Ring Floodlight vs Ring Spotlight: Similarities

There’s a lot to consider beyond these two cameras’ fundamental differences. It turns out, for example, that they have a number of features in common, like similar power options and subscription plans.

Given that these are both Ring cameras, they’re both available with the same basic monitoring options. If you don’t need to record footage, you can self-monitor your cameras for free. Alternatively, you can add a Ring cloud storage plan that costs $4.99 per month for one camera or $9.99 per month for unlimited cameras. You can also add professional monitoring to the $9.99 plan for an extra $10 per month, which includes video verification.

The Ring app also works with these two cameras. That app is 100 percent free and provides you with real-time alerts and live footage even if you’re self-monitoring your system. In addition, the app allows you to activate and deactivate the cameras, and you can use it to take advantage of their two-way talk capabilities.

Finally, Ring offers its cameras with several power options. In the case of the Spotlight Cam, that means three different models – a plug-in model, a battery-powered model, and a solar-powered model. The Floodlight requires more juice, so the options are limited to a plug-in model and a hardwired model.

If that’s not enough choice, you can also get either camera in “Plus” or “Pro” varieties. Plus provides some bonus features like custom motion zones and PIR motion sensors. Pro comes with an even more advanced version of motion detection – 3D motion detection, powered by radar.

Ring Spotlight Cam at Twilight

Ring Spotlight vs Ring Floodlight: Differences

These two cameras have some very specific technical differences that affect their various features. We’ll get into those. Let’s start simple, though. The Floodlight Cam is designed to stop criminals. The Spotlight Cam, in contrast, is designed to help homeowners see at night.

Very few burglars have the presence of mind to keep going when they’re hit by 2,000 lumens. There’s just no place to hide, and trust us, burglars are pretty unhappy when there’s no place to hide. Add to that a 105 dB siren, which is about as loud as a jet landing at Harry Reid International Airport, and you create a great one-two punch. Of course, this isn’t the sort of camera you want to come on when you arrive home in the evening. Unless, of course, you like being struck blind after a hard day of work.

The Spotlight Cam, on the other hand, offers a welcoming light, whether you need help getting the groceries in after sundown or you want to welcome guests to your home for a soiree. The Spotlight could be used to ward off intruders – in a pinch. After all, if you’re not expecting a light to come on, you’re going to be startled. This camera’s real purpose though is to help homeowners navigate at night.

Features

Both of these cameras come packed with features, whether you go with a battery-powered or wired model. As we suggested above, some of those features overlap. These cameras serve very different purposes, though, and they need very different features in order to fulfill those purposes.

To keep it simple, we’ve broken down each model and added some extra information on the differences between the Plus and Pro models to make it easier to choose the right one for your needs.

Spotlight Cam Plus

• Color Night Vision
• Customizable Motion Detection
• Two-Way Talk
• Motion Activated Notifications
• Built In Siren

Spotlight Cam Pro

• 3D Motion Detection
• Enhanced Audio
• Dual-Band WiFi
• Two-Way Talk
• Built-In Siren

Floodlight Cam Plus

• Color Night Vision
• 2000 Lumen Floodlight
• 105 dB Siren
• Motion Activated Notifications
• Two-Way Talk

Floodlight Cam Pro

• Color Night Vision
• 3D Motion Detection
• Dual-Band WiFi
• Enhanced Audio
• 105 dB Siren

Finally, don’t forget that these two cameras also come with different power options. We might point out, though, that the Spotlight Cam has a bit more flexibility. All floodlight cameras require some sort of wiring to power their strong lights. That means you either have to hardwire the camera directly into a junction box or you have to find an outdoor outlet to plug it into. In some cases, this means hiring an electrician to help out. The Spotlight Cam can be hardwired as well, but it’s also available in a battery-powered version. In fact, you can even connect these cameras to one of Ring’s solar power panels for maximum convenience.

Pricing

As you’d expect, the pricing on these devices differs based on which model you select and which power source you want to use. Here’s a quick breakdown of what that looks like:

Ring doesn’t run as many sales as SimpliSafe, but it’s almost always offering a discount on one or two of its cameras, including the Spotlight and Floodlight Cams. Right now, for example, you can save $40 off a Spotlight Cam Pro. When it comes to the Floodlight, you can save $60 no matter which version you choose. There’s no guarantee how long these prices will last, but if you bookmark our guide to Ring’s sales and discounts, you can always find their best deals.

What We Think

It’s tough to go wrong with Ring, no matter what kind of camera you’re looking for. They offer some of the best security cameras on the market today, and at quite affordable prices. The company’s Spotlight and Floodlight cameras are especially powerful, though. If you’re looking for outdoor coverage, you get both a reliable, hearty camera and the bonus of lighting in emergency situations.

You do want to think through your specific needs, though. The Floodlight Cam works great for straightforward security. You can be sure its bright lights and high-dB siren will frighten off even the bravest would-be burglars. Not everyone needs that kind of protection, though. Or maybe you need a different sort of camera to complement the Floodlight, a camera that can help illuminate a path for you when you come home late at night. In that case, the Spotlight Cam is definitely the better choice. As always with home security, it always comes down to finding the best equipment to suit your situation.